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2014 was truly a spectacular year for me. While I still consider myself a rookie in the blog and YouTube world, I'm still very proud of what I got to accomplish this year. This year I pushed myself very hard to run two blogs, two YouTube channels, and a little vlog channel. It wasn't the easiest task in the world (especially once I got a job) but I still kept pushing myself because it's something that I really enjoy. 2014 was also the year that I got to meet a few of the people who watch my videos, the year that I got to give back to those who follow me, and the year that I got to connect with people around the world. It was a magical year filled with a hair transformation, makeup discoveries, and a lot of amazing concerts.

It's time for me to present you the last playlist of the year. Are you ready to see and hear the biggest playlist on Laura Neuzeth history? I really hope you are! I've compiled some of my favorite tracks of the year to make my "Best of 2014" playlist. Also since I skipped the November playlist I decided to include 20 songs in this playlist. There's a bit of everything in this playlist, from underrated female pop singers to rock legends. You might recognize some of the songs from previous playlists but that just goes to show how much I enjoyed those songs throughout the year. I'm also super interested in knowing what your favorite songs of the year were, so please feel free to share your top songs and playlists in the comments section.

I survived the craziness that is working retail during the holidays. Can I get a "aww yeah"? AWW YEAH! Christmas is my favorite holiday and I always love wishing other people a Merry Christmas, so I'm continuing my tradition of recording Christmas messages. I am very thankful for all of you who read my blog and watch my videos, but especially all of you who have been incredibly patient with me as of late. In this year's video I just started rambling (as always) but at least you'll get to see my makeup! There's also a cyber hug coming your way just in time for Christmas.

The Yves Rocher holiday scents are here and let me tell you, they are absolutely amazing! There's everything from a delightful pear caramel, to refreshing berry scents. For the Jaffa Cake fans out there, there's something for you in this collection (I'm talking to you mom)! The collection is a big one and it includes products such as candles, body care, nail polishes, and makeup. This was my first introduction to many of the products that I'll be talking about in this video. Consider this kind of like a "haul and review" video where I will show you what I received and tell you a bit about everything.

In my family I'm the one that always gives beauty related gifts and with Christmas just a few days I thought I would shade some great gift ideas. A month ago I became a Paul Mitchell Insider which means that I get access to their new collections and get to share them with all of you. Gift sets make incredible gifts for the holidays because the give the recipient the chance to test out a few products at a great price. There's a total of 13 gift sets by Paul Mitchell this holiday season and the best part of all is that you won't be breaking the bank. I'm talking about a complete gift for less than $30 and with every set purchased you will be supporting the Boys and Girls Club of America. With the release of The Art of Holiday I'm going to be recording a holiday hair tutorial and also hosting a little Instagram giveaway.

I have the mother of all unboxing videos this December! My November Ipsy bag arrived in late November due to a shipping problem, so I decided to just open it along with the December bag. Little did I know my Julep Maven would arrived alongside the Ipsy bag, so then I had the idea to just open all of them in one video. Spoiler alert: I was super happy with everything! Julep currently has some amazing nail polish colors at the moment that are definitely worth checking out. If you want to see what I received in my Ipsy and Julep Maven packages just watch the video below.

The 'Me Time' tag is a tag video created by two of my favorite London-based bloggers, Estée of Essiebutton and Amelia of Amelia Liana. The tag revolves about everything and anything related to relaxing, which is something that I haven't done much of due to work. I have been getting tagged to do this video for the past few weeks so I filmed it during one of my now rare 'me time' days. Thank you to Jonathan Curtis, Bon Parisien, and Sandra for tagging me to film this video. Please make sure to check out their videos and subscribe to their channels! Now that we have all the background info out of the way, let's begin with the tag!

You may or may not know that my style has been changing in the recent year and I've been embracing a more minimal style. As much as I love a good statement necklace once in a while, I personally prefer very dainty pieces for everyday use. In this blog post I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite places to get some minimal jewelry. If you're more of a silver girl then you can find similar items in silver but as a gold lover the majority of products will be gold.

November was a crazy busy month for me, hence the inconsistent blog posts (sorry everyone). I was so busy with work that blogging and makeup kind of took the backseat. In November I embraced products that made my makeup application very quick and effortless. Despite not having as much time to myself, I still made some incredible discoveries such as the most lovely neutral palette from the drugstore. There's also a very unique handmade fragrance and a hair product that every girl needs in her life.

The beauty boxes trend seems like it's not going to die anytime soon. By now we have a box for nearly everything so it's not surprising that the big chain stores want to get into the subscription box game. I first heard about the Walmart Beauty Box a few months ago when I saw Emily Noel's video about the service. She seemed pleased with the box so I decided to go ahead and purchase my own subscription. What really interested me about this subscription box was that I would be able to try out more affordable products that I can easily go to the store to pick up. As much as I love trying out new brands sometimes it's hard to find a physical store where you can go and see more of their products, so that's why I think the Walmart Beauty Box is an amazing concept.

We have now arrived to month #8 of the growing out my pixie journey and my hair is still wild. By now I've surpassed my ideal hair length which means that I desperately need to cut it. It's been funny to see everyone around me notice how long my hair has grown. My co-workers will sometimes just tell me out of the blue how long my hair has gotten since I started working with them. I never knew that my hair grows this quickly because I always assumed that I wasn't patient enough to grow out my hair. I cannot emphasize how many times I failed to grow out my bangs, so for me to grow out everything is sort of a big deal to me. In this latest update I'm going to show you how my hair currently looks and also share two new hair products that have been working really well with my hair.

I've had a love/hate relationship with dry shampoo for the past few years. As a lazy girl with curly hair, I don't like washing my hair very much. Washing it daily only causes my hair to get really dry and frizzy, so I like to go two days without washing to keep my hair as healthy as possible. In between washes I love using a dry shampoo to absorb the oil near my scalp and also add some volume to my hair, the problem is that most dry shampoos leave a white cast on my hair. If you have dark hair then you know my pain but I finally found the solution- a clear dry shampoo. This is revolutionary stuff! In this blog post I am going to introduce you to my latest hair obsession, the Salon Grafix Play It Big Volumizing Dry Shampoo.

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Neutrogena.

As you all may know by now, it doesn't get too cold here in San Diego but that doesn't mean that my hands don't get dry. Something that people tend to forget is that California is a desert and our climate tends to be pretty dry, especially if you don't live near the coast. In recent weeks the air has become extremely dry which is confusing my oily skin a lot and also making my hands uncomfortably dry. I first heard about the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream thanks to my brother who has been a huge fan of this highly moisturizing and lightly scented hand cream for about 3 years now. I know, the beauty blogger discovered a product thanks to someone who doesn't care much about beauty products. The hand cream that I'll be talking about today is a spin-off of Neutrogena's much-loved Norwegian Formula, but does it live up to the original version?

I've been extremely busy at work the past few weeks and I honestly haven't had much time to play around with makeup. Last week the place I work at opened their second location. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal but when you're talking about a small business a second location is a huge deal. I've been taking a lot more shifts and responsibilities which has in turn slowed down my blog and YouTube just a bit. Since I've been busy I decided to film a quick tutorial right before I left to work on Tuesday. This tutorial is great for any working woman, student, or busy mom.

Pssst... I have something to tell you. San Diego finally got it's very own Topshop/Topman! It took a few years but now San Diegans won't have to drive up to Los Angeles or shop the limited collection of Topshop clothing at Nordstrom. I first went to Topshop back in 2011 when I traveled to Manchester and I remember specifically telling my friend Sofia to take me to a Topshop after hearing so much about it on YouTube. Fast forward a few years and now I'm getting invited to the launch party which was a bit hard to believe. Me? Going to the Topshop launch party? But I'm not even cool enough to be there! Which was true but at least I got to meet Devendra Banhart, one of my favorite musicians since high school.

I'm going to start off with this cliché but I really mean this. Where has this year gone? 2014 is almost over and we only have two more favorites videos until we start the cycle all over again in 2015. I honestly cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. This past month I got to try out several new products that I have not talked about much in videos. Once again I was in love with some makeup brushes that made my life a whole lot easier, and I'm continuing all this cream blush love on this blog. This favorites video includes a lot more high-end brands than usual, but like always there's some affordable drugstore items that I would like to recommend to all of you.

Over the past few months my wardrobe has been transitioning from loud colors and prints to a more minimal style. I've been embracing clothes with different silhouettes and a color palette that would please any Parisian out there. I have been admiring the minimalist style for a few years now, but I never thought it would fit a girl like me because I am not exactly stick thin. In more recent months I've discovered that style doesn't have anything to do with the size of your clothes, if you like something then wear it. This more dark and minimal style just suits me at this point of my life and whenever I wear something along these lines it just feels very effortless. Isn't that what everyday style is supposed to be?

I've been going a little crazy at Sephora these past two months. Since I finally have a little money to spend I've been taking the opportunity to try some of the brands that I've been hearing so much about on YouTube and blogs. And it's also time for the holiday gift sets and let me tell you there are some amazing deals going on at the moment. Whether you're looking for gift ideas or want to see my very first luxury makeup purchases (yes, it happened!) just watch the video below. Also, I'm officially a Sephora VIB member again! Woohooo!

As you may all know by now, I love painting my nails. My nail polish collection has everything from a glow-in-the-dark nail polish to the classic red polish. As much as I like to play around with bright colors and funky textures, there's just something about muted nail polish that I love. Muted nails match every outfit and make your nails look incredibly chic. I've always loved colors with a gray undertone but I have to say that they're not the easiest to find in the drugstore, until now.

There was once a time that I really disliked cream blush. I thought that I couldn't make them work with my very oily skin, but things have changed a lot recently. I've transformed myself from a cream blush hater to a full-fledged cream blush addict! As the air is becoming dryer and my skin isn't as oily, I've been turning to cream blush to add a natural flush of color to my cheeks. What changed my mind about cream blush? The application. I really did not know how to apply cream blushes before I discovered this magical tool, and the best thing is that the tool is only $3. In this blog post you'll discover some cream blush tips and some product recommendations. You never know, you might become a bonafide cream blush lover just like myself!

It's time for another Ipsy bag! This time I'm going to be showing you what I got in my October bag. This past month's theme was Beauty Candy so some of the items I received came in bright packaging or smelled like candy. This was my second Ipsy bag and by now I think I have a good idea of this service. Find out what I got and whether I'm still happy with Ipsy in my latest video!

This month's playlist is going to be unlike any other playlist so far. This will be the very first playlist that has very few words, or in other hand it's entirely composed of instrumentals. Sometimes songs don't need any words to convey emotions or story. Then there are other times that you just want to find the perfect soundtrack to your own movie- don't pretend like you've never imagined yourself as the star of your own movie when you listen to music. Whether you just want to relax or let your imagination go wild, this is the playlist for you.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by NEUTROGENA® I only recommend products I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. Some of the products mentioned were purchased by myself AND/OR some were provided by NEUTROGENA® for this post.

Today's post is brought to you by Leonardo da Vinci and his masterpiece the Mona Lisa (La Gioconda). One of my favorite paintings of all time happens to be the Mona Lisa and I've been in love with the work of art ever since I can remember. I have always been so fascinated by the mysterious woman with the cherub face and the iconic faint smile, there's just something about the whole painting that really appeals to me. When I decided to take part in the #NeutrogenaFaceOff challenge I knew I had to do something different and I thought "this would be the perfect time to become the Mona Lisa." This particular makeup look does require a lot of makeup but one Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelette from Walmart is enough to remove everything from my face.

My first color scheme blog post went so well that I decided to do another one for you. This time around I'm going to be focusing on the color for fall- plum. When it comes to fall trends, plum is a color that comes back in style time and time again. By now it is a color that is attached to the fall season and with good reason, it is universally flattering. Just like the fruit, the colors that fall under plum range from dark to a very warm purple hue. I will be showing you blush, lip colors, eyeshadows, eyeliner, and a nail polish in this blog post. And just like in the peach blog post there's going to be something for everyone's budget. Let's now take a bite out of fall's juiciest color.

I'll be the first to tell you that I haven't been much of a Maybelline lipstick fan. I've heard many bloggers talk and talk about them, and I would try them and instantly get disappointed. I never quite understood the hype around the lipsticks and the artificial Play-doh scent was a huge turn-off for me. When I first heard about the new Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip Color I was certain that I wouldn't want to try them. I thought I was going to run into an OK lipstick with a horrible scent, but after hearing some of my favorite bloggers rave about these matte lipsticks I decided to give one shade a go and see if perhaps this would be the first time that I would enjoy a Maybelline lipstick.

Say hello to month #7 in this "growing out my pixie cut" journey! My hair is officially wild and very long. I think it might have even surpassed my ideal hair length which is saying a lot. Everything looks much longer but it's in desperate need of a haircut. Hopefully next month you'll see me with a haircut and style, because at the moment I'm rocking about 3 different layers and some dry ends. I still can't believe that I've gone over 9 months without getting a haircut, I usually cut my hair once every 2-3 months. Check out what's been happening with my hair in my latest update.

You might be wondering "where were you last week?" If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter then you would that my MacBook Pro was acting up a lot. The trackpad began having problems on Monday and I couldn't do anything with my laptop because the cursor just wouldn't select anything. To top things off my card reader wouldn't let me import pictures, so as you can tell I had an very off week with technology. But being disconnected from the blogging and YouTube world worked wonders on me. For once, I was finally able to rest and think about some great ideas for upcoming posts and videos which has been really tough for me recently. I am happy to say that everything is back to normal with my laptop (thank you Apple!) and I got a new card reader which seems to be working great, so now I'm going to show you a face of the day which was meant to go up last week.

You may think that bloggers are very fashionable, poised, knowledgeable, and well perfect... but I am certainly not. In case you don't know, I am someone that doesn't take herself very seriously. I love to be goofy and I'm definitely not embarrassed by dumb pictures or messing up on camera. After all I did make a Facebook album called "Ridiculous Face I Make While Filming" where I post the most derp-worthy screenshots. In this blog post you're going to see all the times that I was going for a good photo but failed hardcore.

When it comes to makeup brushes I think e.l.f. gets it right. They have a variety of face and eye brushes all which are cruelty-free and less than $5. I have more expensive brushes and I have to let you know that I tend to reach for my e.l.f. brushes more than my other brushes. I love the very unique brush shapes, how soft they are, and the fact that they're incredibly multitasking. Today I'm going to be sharing my top 5 brushes from e.l.f., but I can certainly do a video about all the other brushes I own because there's not one e.l.f. brush that I dislike.

It's now been over a week since the magical Paul McCartney show and I'm still thinking about it nonstop. It had been over 30 years since the last time Paul performed in San Diego so as you can imagine it was a very special night for everyone there. As someone who has always traveled to see Paul McCartney it felt so incredibly nice to be seeing him in my hometown. I know this isn't beauty or fashion related whatsoever but I wanted to share some pictures I took from the concert, as well as the vlog. I really hope you enjoy my coverage of the Paul McCartney concert in San Diego.

This post is going up extremely late but last week I was so busy with work that I didn't get the chance to upload this until now. I recently joined Ipsy after seeing so many videos and Instagram posts about it. I've had both good and bad experiences with subscription services in the past, but I wanted to give one of the most popular subscription services a shot. Ipsy is a company which was started by Michelle Phan and each month subscribers receive a bag with deluxe samples/full-sized items tailored to their needs and interests. The bag is only $10 a month so I said "why not?" In this video I'll be showing you what I got in my very first Ipsy bag.

You know what time it is? It's time for me to show you all my favorite products I discovered and rediscovered in September. This monthly favorites is unlike my other ones because not only do I only have 1 lip product (yes, just one) but I'm also going to sharing some brushes that I've been loving. I rarely talk about my favorite makeup tools but I certainly do pick favorites among my brush collection and just keep using them every time I do my makeup. As always there's both high end and drugstore products in my video so I'm sure there will be something that will catch your eye.

The other day when I went to Walmart I came across these brand new Fierce Effects eyeshadows from Hard Candy. These look a lot like the L'Oréal Infallible Eyeshadows which I adore, but the main difference is the price. While the L'Oréal option is affordable, Hard Candy beats it by offering 2 eyeshadows for only $5. With a deal like that I couldn't help but pick a duo up for me to test out and ultimately compare it to the L'Oréal Infallible Eyeshadows. Are the more affordable option better than my original love? You'll have to keep reading to find out.

I have another makeup swap to share with you! Today I have a UK-USA makeup swap with my friend Sarah who lives in England. I sent her some of my favorite drugstore makeup that she either can't get or is hard to find in England, and she sent me some British and European products that I can't find here. Not only was I super excited when I was opening the package but I went a little swatch crazy, so you'll have to go watch the video to find out what I got from Sarah.

I would like to start off this post by saying that I, Laura, am a social media addict. My
parents have always loved to tease me about how I'm not able to survive without my phone or
social media, and for the first time I saw that they might be right. In honor of the new ABC
comedy, Selfie, I was challenged to take a social media cleanse. There were four different
categories and I qualified as a "mobile maniac." What that means is that my phone and I are
attached to the hip and if I don't have it with me well... Then I get a little anxious. In this blog
post I will be telling you about my social media cleanse and also a little bit about Selfie, a show
about a young woman who loves social media even more than I do.

We are now 6 months into this "growing out my pixie cut" journey! I can't believe how fast time has gone by and how much my hair has grown. I've never been the most patient person when it comes to growing out hair, in fact I failed countless of times to grow out my bangs over the past few years. I've always gotten tired out the growing out process and cut them back into blunt Zooey Deschanel inspired bangs, but look at me know! My hair has gone from a short pixie cut to a curly bob, and my bangs can cover my eyes when they're curly! Check out what's been happening with my hair in my latest update.

While I'm not in school anymore, part of me still thinks of September as back to school month. This month I've been listening to a lot of music that I used to listen to in my high school and early college years (aka the MySpace days). Don't you miss the days when you would spend minutes (or sometimes hours) trying to find the *perfect* song for your profile? I know I would spend so much time browsing the music section on MySpace trying to find obscure European bands that many of my high school peers had never heard about. I still love and listen to some of bands and singers I discovered on MySpace like The Bird and the Bee, Feist, and Nouvelle Vague. This month's playlist is inspired by MySpace and the music discoveries I made during those years.

Instead of putting makeup on, I'll be taking it off for you in today's video! I'm going to be sharing my evening skincare routine, as well as introduce you to the Canadian skincare company Vain Pursuits. Finding the right skincare product for your skin and lifestyle can sometimes be a hassle and what Vain Pursuits does is take away the guessing work. After taking an extensive survey the Vain Pursuits experts basically formulate three products based on your needs, lifestyle, and preferences. You will receive three samples with handwritten notes explaining what your item does and the ingredients. It is a very neat service with a lot of personal touches and an incredible attention to detail. I'm so happy to let you know that Vain Pursuits is going to allow 50 lucky winners to receive their own customized samples just like I did.

Last night I went to see Lykke Li right here in San Diego and I decided to dedicate a little post to what I was wearing. Since Lykke Li is a fan of dark eye makeup I decided to ditch my soft makeup and embrace a smoky eye. I've been such a huge fan of Lykke Li since 2008 when her debut album Youth Novels was released. That was one of those life changing albums that I will always hold close to my heart. You might not know this but I used to run a Lykke Li tumblr fan page a few years ago so I'm not kidding when I say that I'm a huge fan. I'm hoping to recreate a Lykke Li makeup look very soon as a tutorial, but for now here's what I wore for the concert!

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with NEUTROGENA® and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions and statements expressed are my own.

Fall is officially here and with that comes new makeup trends! While it's fun to wear a grungy smokey eye and dark lips, it's just not the most wearable look especially for work. I always try to keep things simple and quick for work so that's why I absolutely love using BB creams. In today's blog post I'm going to show you this very simple fall look featuring matte eyeshadows, a dusty rose lipstick, and the Neutrogena Visibly Even collection.

A few weeks ago Yves Rocher sent me a lovely package with a bunch of their brand new products and let me tell you I was super excited. I've been putting each item to the test and I feel like I can definitely let you know what I like about each one of the products. In this latest video you'll be getting a comprehensive overview about all the products, swatches, and also some live demos. Let me warn you, there's a lot of amazing makeup in this video so I would watch with caution.

Rings are the one jewelry item that I attach sentimental value to. Whether they've been given to me or purchased by myself, I am always taken back to a specific point of my life when I look at my rings. In almost every video and "outfit of the day" post you've see me wearing a ring, and it's been that way for at least 11 years. Today I want to tell you a little bit more about my favorite rings in my collection, including my newest addition that you may have seen on Instagram last week.

My first venture into the world of natural cosmetics and I am already in love. I have to be completely honest with you and admit that I didn't know much about natural cosmetic brands, so when my brother bought me this mascara from Germany I was just like "what is this?" I had no idea about the brand, the product, or how a mascara could be made out of natural ingredients. All I knew was that it could not be better than my waterproof mascara, or so I thought. Let's just say that my introduction to natural makeup completely blew my mind.

It may not feel like fall whatsoever but I'm mentally preparing myself to rock some fall trends. Trying out the fall fashion trends is completely out of the picture due to the heat, but I will be pulling out my dark lipstick and plum eyeshadows very soon. Today I want to share with you my favorite blushes for the fall season. You'll definitely notice a trend when you see the swatches but I just really love rose blushes for the fall! Rose is a very easy color to wear and it's pairs well with dark makeup. If you're interested in hearing about my blush picks then watch the video embedded to the first top 5 post of the fall.

The past few days have been extremely hot here in San Diego. It's been in the mid 90s (~35ºC), a bit humid, and overall very unpleasant. Because of that I've been making an effort to keep my makeup as light as possible just like I did today. Even though the makeup doesn't look any different from what I normally wear, I did use some new products in today's look because I'm in the middle of testing out a few items. So without further ado let's jump right into this latest "face of the day post."

Time for another outfit of the day! That's the second one this month, I think I deserve a pat on the back. Last weekend when my boyfriend came to visit me it was really hot, too hot to wear a short sleeve + jeans combo. Recently I purchased my first trapeze top and let me tell you this is the most comfortable sleeveless top ever! I love how loose this top is because it didn't cling on to my body whatsoever, plus no one will be able to notice if you ate too much cheese. So now that I have your attention, let me show you my casual outfit with a pop of mint.

You might be wondering why I'm posting about peach colored makeup as we head into the fall but when it comes to makeup I'm not one that follows the "rules." Peach makeup is flattering year round so I decided to dedicate a blog post entirely to my favorite peachy colored items in my makeup collection. There's some great blush options options that will pair very nicely with a cat eye. Peachy nudes lip products are the perfect companion to a dark smokey eye. And if you're looking to try out any dark lipsticks this fall, then a soft peachy eyeshadow will let your lips be the main attraction. Peaches might not be in season at the moment but the following products are definitely very fresh.

Once upon a time my brows had a life of their own... they were big, bushy, and out of control. Nowadays I have become somewhat of a brow product hoarder. I have everything from eyebrow pencils to brow gels in my ever growing brow stash, but today I want to talk about one of Tarte's newest releases. The Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Tinted Brow Gel is a nifty brow gel with the tiniest brush I have ever seen. Tarte claims that the brow gel will deposit the perfect amount of pigment and provide 12-hour hold for groomed brows that will last all day! So let me tell you about my little friend...

Powder is not just a makeup product to me, it's a life necessity. Without powder I will feel like a human disco ball, or even worse a human mirror because my skin is excessively oily. Most people only get oily in their t-zone but I'd consider myself extremely lucky if I only got oily in those areas. I've tried my fair share of mattifying powders from both high end stores and the drugstore. In my quest to find the perfect inexpensive mattifying powder I stumbled upon the E.L.F. Studio Translucent Mattifying Powder at Target one night. As much as I would like to tell you that this is a must-have for oily skin girls, I sadly can't. In fact I think this product is not even worth the $3 that it retails for.

As much as I love makeup sometimes I just don't have the time to just sit there and blend out 4 different eyeshadows. I am a girl who loves sleeping so I'll gladly trade some makeup time for more sleep. This is a makeup tutorial for those of you who don't have a lot of time in the morning to create an intricate look for school, work, or a lunch with your friends. Most of the products I used are from the drugstore so it will be super easy to recreate. Also, I did things a little different in this tutorial but you'll have to watch it to find out.